Jason Barraza

"Diversity is huge at UM and something I looked for, considering my own [diverse] background. I am a strong believer that, because we all come from different backgrounds, we all have something to offer. UM is very accepting and open, no matter where you come from. I wanted to be able to bounce ideas off each other, but also learn about different cultures that you might not have been exposed to or known about before.

When I visited, students emphasized how much professors really care about your success and will make time for you. The 12:1 [student-to-faculty] ratio was very helpful for me because I don’t want to just be a number. At a huge university, where you might have lectures with 500 students, it would be hard to get that kind of attention."